In aircraft construction, efforts are being made to use as load-bearing components increasingly components which are composed wholly or partly of fibre-reinforced composite materials, for example carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP). For example, DE 10 2007 062 111 A1 describes a transverse support structure which is composed of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic and serves to support the individual panels of an aircraft floor system for separating a passenger cabin from a cargo compartment arranged below the passenger cabin. Furthermore, it is known, for example from DE 10 2004 001 078 A1, to provide aircraft fuselage segments with a skin which is designed with a sandwich construction and made of fibre-reinforced composite materials. Finally, DE 10 2008 032 834 A1 and US 2010/0007056 A1 relate to a stiffening component composed of a fibre-reinforced composite material and configured in the form of an omega stringer.
Aircraft structural components which are composed wholly or partly of fibre-reinforced composite materials are not suitable for use as electrical return conductors. Further, these structural components do not provide for a shielding of conducting cables against electromagnetic radiation or lightning. In an aircraft comprising structural components made of fibre-reinforced composite materials conducting cables therefore usually are received in suitable protective shielding tubes. Moreover, additional return conductor cables are provided which may, for example, be twisted with the conducting cables and, together with the conducting cables, be received in the protective shielding tubes. The conducting cables and the return conductor cables are fastened to the aircraft structural components using screws, spacers, clamps and the like.
As an alternative, DE 10 2007 062 111 A1 proposes to design an aircraft structural component so as to comprise a hollow space forming an installation space for conducting cables. Inner surfaces of the installation space are covered by a layer of an electrically conductive material such as a metal or an electrically conductive plastic material so as to ensure a shielding of conducting cables installed in the installation space against electromagnetic radiation or lightning.